The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-01-27
SPIES ON THE RAIL.
PULLMAN CONDUCTORS WATCHED
BY PRETTY FEMALE DETECTIVES.
How the Little Breaks are Reported at
Headquartcrs-The Detective Service q
Very Perfect One-spotting the spotter.
Goo1 lSesuIfa.

Very Perfect One-spotting the spotter.
Good Results.
A brunette, plump, petite and pretty,
with something of the feerless freedom OF
an actress about her, was one OF tho firsC
passengers to board the Chicago limited
at the Union depot a night or two ago.
Many eyes followed the trim figure, and
many masculine hearts envied the COL
orcd porter who held her arm for
moment as she climbed into the car. A
reporter would not have noticed the lady,
for pretty women arc not unusual sights
In the depot, had she not been pointed out
to him in New York three years ago as u
wonderfully clever detective in Pinkcr-
toms service AS the reporter was talk
ing to q Pullman car conductor a few
minutes later, the attractive lady pasScn-
ger came out on the front platform of the
car. Nodding his head toward her, the
conductor said:
"Thcre's my shadow. She was faith
full one all yesterday, as faithful as she is
pretty. should have 1lattered myself
that she was kind of sweet on me, If had
not been told by u porter who recognized
her who she is"
BRIGHT BROWN EYES.
"Then you know her calling:'
Certainly; she's detective, a spy, one
| Of the agents of the secret service Of the
| Pullman Car company. Those bright
| bright brown eyes Of hers watched me
during q trip of about 600 miles, they
watched tho porters and they kept
lookout for the passengers Us well.
I'll bet that she could give q pretty &C
curate account OF everything we did for
those twelve hours. l remember used
| pretty strong language to thick headed
porter early on tho journey before dis
covered her ladyship. At the end Of the
month I shall receive report from head
quarters notifying Inc that on such q day
and ON such train used bad language,
and warning me not to do it again. Every
little break conductor makes is recorded,
and he is told all about it ut the end of
the month. The conductor who commits
any serious indiscretion or puts money
into his own pockets instead Of the conf
pany's, and tho secret service agent secs
the Gct, has to get down and out very
suddenly"
"Thc detective service is a very perfect
! one, thcn7'
eyes, ns perfect as any other part Of
| tho Pullman Car company's system.
Until few weeks ago the detectives were
called inspectors. That tito has been
abolished, and the ladies and gentlemen
who so kindly wait upon the conductors
! like angels unnwares are now known as
| special agents. They arc numerous, but
exactly how many Of them there are of
course l don't know. Nobody but tho
highest executive officials arc supposed to
know who these agents arc. I know q
dozen or so by sight, most of them men.
They travel in all sorts of shapes. They
buy their railroad tickets and purchase
| their bcrths in slccpers just like the rest
! of the world. In every way possible their
! true identity IS shielded and suspicion di-
| verted from them.
| sPoTTING TIE sPoTTER.
"Yet the conductor. who is unable to
spot the spotter is tho exception. You
catch pair Of Dyes looking at you little
too rttentively; you detect touch of the
pump handle in q casual conversation, and
then before your mind has hardly had
time to lead you to any conclusion you
! find yourself given over to the pleasant
occupation of watching your shadow. A
new man. and suppose dishonest man,
will not enjoy the idea of always being
under surveillance; but, bless your soul,
! I've grown rather to like it. OF course
the spying is not always going ON, al
though the company by its monthly report
to its employees tries to make US believe
that we IRE never out of the sight of the
special agents"
SIS there much chance for a Pullman
conductor to rob the Company
'eThere are not very many opportuni-
ties. Here is one; it occurred on the last
trip made. The pretty woman whom
pointed out to you as q special agent had
u lower berth. The upper berth was not
taken. After we had gotten out few
miles on orr journey she called to me and
asked me to foil up the upper berth, to
give her the entire stateroom, in fact.
According to the rules of the company
this could only be done OH the payment of
$3.50. l told the lady 80. Oh she
said with beseeching look at me, you
wouldn't charge me that replied that
I was sorry, but l couldn't make the
change for O penny less. She tried 10
persuade me, but I wouldn't give III.
Then she carried the war into Africa, but
/ whispered word to the colored porters
and they resisted the smiles and even the
81 which the lady offered. know she .
put out with me, and she'll paint my pro-
fame spell in very bad colors, I know,
when she reports 1t. A conductor who
did not know he was dealing with q
special agent accepted reduction on tho
| regular tariff, and got his discharge be-
fore his next trip came round.
81 rather like some of the results of the
special agent system. If it Goes not keep
some Of us cut Of temptation, 1t ut least
renders us invulncrable in q great de-
gree. "-Pittsburg Dispatch.